Motorsport: F1 turns 1000 in China

Plus we preview this weekend's action around the world.

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Formula One is celebrating the 1000th championship grand prix this weekend in China.

While the anniversary is questionable for many reasons - including for the fact that between 1950 and 1960 the Indianapolis 500 was considered a point-scoring grand prix despite being run to different rules - the celebrations are happening in Shanghai regardless.

To celebrate Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo and his Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg will be wearing one-off retro helmets. Ricciardo’s is modeled after the lid Australia’s three-time world champion Jack Brabham wore, featuring his name on the side, painted stone chips and sponsors logos that look taped on.

Unfortunately for Ricciardo a repeat of his 2018 Chinese GP victory seems unlikely as both he and the French team are yet to gel in their new relationship. Instead the race is likely to boil down to another Mercedes-AMG versus Ferrari affair, with the two powerhouse teams locked in a tight battle at the front of the field.

Ferrari’s rising star Charles Leclerc will be hoping to make amends for missing out on his maiden victory last time out in Bahrain with an engine problem. The Italian team reportedly has a slight power advantage over its German rivals, which could prove helpful on the Shanghai circuit’s long back straight.

Supercar: Happy hunting ground for Mustangs

There’s no rest for the Supercars field, heading straight to Phillip Island for this weekend’s latest round direct from last weekend's race in Tasmania.

Even though Shane van Gisbergen claimed Holden’s first victory last weekend at Symmons Plains, the Commodore drivers are bracing for the Ford Mustang to have the advantage. The fast, flowing nature of the Phillip Island circuit is expected to favour the aerodynamic package of the blue oval’s coupe.

The new car topped the pre-season test at the track, with Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters fastest, and has gone on to win all but one race so far this year.

Scott McLaughlin leads the championship in his DJR-Team Penske Ford ahead of teammate Fabian Coulthard. But van Gisbergen’s Red Bull Racing teammate Jamie Whincup is in third place to keep Holden’s title hopes alive.

TCR Australia: Former champs sign up

With time ticking down to its first round on May 17-19, the Australian TCR series was boosted by three high-profile signings this week.

Former Bathurst winner Jason Bright and Super2 champions Chris Pither and Tony D’Alberto have all secured deals for the new small touring car championship.

Bright will run his own two-car team, securing a pair of Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR from Malaysia. He will drive one entry and is looking for a second driver to complete his squad. It marks a comeback to full-time racing for the veteran, after he quit the Supercars series at the end of the 2017 season.

“I’ve have been looking at the TCR Series for some time and it’s great to confirm that I will be driving in the series this year,” said Jason Bright.

“The class is perfect for Australia. Affordable, competitive and relevant to the current motoring market. I really feel it’s going to be a great addition to the motorsport landscape.

“I went to Malaysia on the weekend and purchased the car that actually won the weekend. I know it’s got good form, so I can’t wait to get it to Australia, have a test and get ready for round one.”

Pither, who won last year’s Super2 series, will drive one of the Garry Rogers Motorsport Renault Megane entries. He joins the already signed Jimmy Vernon who will race one of the GRM team’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

D’Alberto, who will partner Coulthard in the Supercars endurances, has signed up with Wall Racing to drive of one the team’s two Honda Civic TCR machines.

“Personally, I’m really excited to have my own car for the year. Over the past few years, I’ve been driving lots of different cars with other people. It will be nice not be a co-driver for a change,” D’Alberto said.

In brief

Formula E hits Rome

Can the electric racing series continue its trend for new race winners this weekend in Rome? There have been six different winners in the first six races as the new Gen2 car has provided unpredictable races. Defending champion Jean-Eric Vergne took his first win in the previous race in China, but he’s only third in the standings, eight-points behind series’ leader Antonio Felix da Costa.

Indycar heads to Long Beach

The Indycar series will be back in action this weekend at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Australia’s Will Power will be looking to bounce back from his disappointing 11th place finish last weekend in Alabama and a mechanical failure at the second round in Texas.

Power is a two-time winner on the California streets and will be included into the Long Beach race’s walk of fame.

It was the Spaniard’s first run on an oval in the American open-wheeler since his 2017 attempt on the race. He is aiming to complete motorsport’s unofficial ‘Triple Crown’ - having already won the Monaco Grand Prix and Le Mans 24-hours.

It was also the first look at the new car he will run, which is finished in the same orange and blue paint scheme as the team’s F1 racers.

Mika Hakkinen returns to McLaren

Alonso isn’t the only former two-time F1 champion looking for a new challenge. Mika Hakkinen, who won the 1998 and ‘99 world titles with McLaren, will race a McLaren 720S GT3 car in the Suzuka 10-hour. It will be the penultimate round of the InterContinental GT Challenge and Hakkinen will partner local drivers Katsuaki Kubota and Hiroaki Ishiura in the British supercar.

Stephen has been interested in cars as long as he can remember. Speed is in the blood as his great-grandfather was a motor racing pioneer in Australia, establishing several land speed and racing records.
Based in Sydney, professionally he has been writing about everything on four-wheels since 2001…

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1 COMMENT

DJM61 — 12 Apr 2019 17:00

F1 turns 1000 in China ... we all know it is boring but it isn't that old? The Grand Prix can't be more than 113?